


Dance With Me

by The Elder Gays (Katanachan)



Category: South Park
Genre: Adorable, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Awkward Crush, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Awkwardness, Childhood Friends, College, Crenny, Crushes, Cute Kids, Dancing, Depression, First Crush, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, High School, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Middle School, Minor Violence, Mistakes, Non-Graphic Violence, One Sided Bunny, One-Sided Attraction, Past Relationship(s), Secret Crush, Secret Relationship, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Slow Romance, Smoking, Underage Drinking, Underage Smoking, Unrequited Crush, Violence, creek - Freeform, pinning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-07 19:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14678208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katanachan/pseuds/The%20Elder%20Gays
Summary: One step forward, two steps back.It all started with a stupid middle school dance, but Kenny and Craig have been dancing around each other ever since.Will they ever be able to move in sync, or will they always miss each other?





	Dance With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends! This story is going to be a little different than our other ones? Each chapter will jump a significant amount of time in their lives. We wanted to showcase this relationship in a different way and how the two of them keep coming close to something and well... life happens! 
> 
> It's a wild ride, so come on it with us and let us know how you like it!
> 
> Each chapter is a one-shot that connects with the rest of the timeline.

Craig muffles a yawn on the back of his hand, leaning heavily against the wall at his back.  The colorful, strobing lights flashing throughout the gym sent his classmates into a galaxy of bright blues and pinks.  It didn’t do anything to help most of their erratic and uncoordinated attempts at dancing. And neither did this music.

He’s not entirely sure why he came at all, other than the constant nagging from Clyde to be his wingman.  But hey, surprise surprise, the moment Bebe appeared in her new dress and flashy shoes, his best friend was gone, leaving Craig alone. Again. 

Which would have been fine.  Except he didn’t want to be here in the first place.  And this whole ‘ _I_ _won’t ditch you, just kidding BYE’_ thing was starting to grate on him.

There is a flash of blond before Kenny was next to Craig, his back leaning against the wall and a smile on his lips. He lifts the cup of punch up as a offering before he takes a swig himself. “You look hella bored, Tucker. Want some spiked punch?”

Raising an eyebrow at the shorter boy invading his space, Craig took the cup offered to him, scrutinizing its contents.  “Did you seriously spike it?”

“Naw, Stan did it. But man, wish I’d thought of it,” Kenny snorts, taking another sip of the weird concoction in his cup. He scrunches his nose, making a disgusted look at the liquid before shrugging and downing some of the liquid. “Better this than nothing, and this dance is lammmmme.”

Craig sniffs at the contents of the cup, pulling a face before bringing it to his lips anyway and taking a sip.  He regrets it instantly, swallowing the putrid mixture and sticking his tongue out in a gag. “Jesus _fuck_ , dude, what the hell did he put in this?”

“I think he mixed Kraken and Jäger by the taste of it” the blond mutters, looking at the last bit of alcohol in the bottom of his cup, swirling it. “So, whatcha doing over here being a literal wallflower, Tucker?”

Shrugging a shoulder and somehow managing to drink another mouthful despite how godawful it tasted, Craig continues to watch the sweaty mass of students huddled in the middle of the gym.  “I don’t dance.”

“You don’t gotta dance to have fun though?” Kenny laughs, moving his hands in a little dance, bumping Craig’s shoulder.

The noirette smiles at that, shaking his head.  “I mean, I guess not. Just kinda seems like you’re supposed to _dance_ at a dance.”  He turns to watch Kenny, nudging his shoulder back.  “What about you? Why aren’t you out there?”

Kenny thinks about it for a moment before rocking back and forth on his feet, “I was dancing with Stan and Kyle for a while, but Wendy came over and Stan went with her. Kyle got all depressed and went to go do...something?” He pauses before continuing his ramble, “Then I was hanging out with Butters and Cartman, but Heids forced Eric to dance with her, and Butters was acting weird as hell so I made up some bullshit about going and getting us some punch.” The blond laughs and points to the cup he handed Craig, “Which I gave you. Whoops.”

“Well, thanks, I think? This tastes like gasoline and fruit punch, but uh,” Craig swirls the liquid, “it’s Stan, so.”  He catches sight of Heidi and Cartman, Stan’s face goofy as he sways awkwardly with Wendy, and Butters taking a sip of punch before dropping his cup with a yelp.  “Sounds about right. Poor Kyle.”

“I know, right?” The blond hides a little behind Craig as Butter’s looks towards them, flattening himself against the wall. He makes a face before grumbling under his breath, “So. Wait, why aren’t you hanging out with those guys?” He gestures to the group of Craig’s friends on the other side of the room.

“They’ve got their own shit going on,” Craig snorts, watching Jimmy entertain a small swarm of giggling girls, before turning his head to look down at Kenny clearly hiding behind him.  “Which apparently you do too from the way you’re trying to fuse with the wall, dude.”

“Don’t be a dick, just let me hide behind your ridiculously tall self for a moment and don’t question it,” the other nearly hisses, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Alright, man.  Don’t be an asshole, I’m just asking why I’m being used like a human shield is all,” Craig mutters without any heat, taking another drink from his cup. 

“Let’s subtly change the subject to why you aren’t hanging out with Tweek, right now,” Kenny counters, eyeing the other boy.

Craig bristles at that, narrowing his eyes at the blond over the rim of his cup.  “We’re not attached at the hip. Plus he’s not here.”

“Really?” The shorter boy tilts and pokes Craig in the hip before grinning, “I could have sworn you were. How weird!” He offers a laugh, “He doesn’t dig dances?”

“Ha, you’re hilarious.  But no, he doesn’t. Not like I do either,” Craig notices the frantic way Butters darts around the room, twisting his fingers as he goes from group to group.  “Is it Butters? The reason you’re hiding?”

“Ahhhrgg…” Kenny hears the sound before he realizes he’s making it, hiding a little more behind Craig. “Yes?” He frowns, reaching for the parka that isn’t there.

“What’d you do?”

“Why do people always automatically think I did something?” he grumbles before rolling his eyes.  “I didn’t. He’s acting weird and it’s making me uncomfortable. I rather not be alone with him right now.”

“Because I’ve known you since preschool,” Craig deadpans, shifting further in front of Kenny all the same, blocking him completely from Butters’ view.  “But I’m sorry. About whatever is going on with him.”

Kenny shrugs both shoulders and sighs, “Who knows. He’s been getting like this every time we’re alone lately?”

Craig frowns against his cup, pulling the plastic away from his lips, trying to find a delicate way to ask without making the other boy uncomfortable.  “Maybe...maybe he’s like how Kyle is. With Stan.”

“Oh God, no.” Kenny blurts out, slipping down the wall and hitting the gym floor. “Take it back, Tucker. Don’t put that shit into the universe.” Kenny pulls his knees to his chest and bangs his forehead against his knees dramatically.

The noirette’s frown deepens, “Is it _that bad_ if he is?” Craig turns, resting his shoulder against the wall so he can stare down at Kenny.  “You realize I’m gay, right?”

“Fuck if I care about that, you idiot.” The blond looks up at him with a slight glare, “I just don’t want to have to let him down! Leo is, hands down, the _loudest_ crier I have ever heard. It’s gonna make me feel like a total asshole!”

Craig blinks once, twice, watching the anguish on Kenny’s face.  “Oh,” well _shit_ now he’s gone and made things awkward.  “If it helps at all, I doubt he’d cry directly in front of you.  You’re like his best friend or something, and he doesn’t want to fuck that up. Probably wouldn’t be as bad as you think.”

“Great. Now I feel worse. I’m the world’s worst best friend.” His fingers tangle in the wild locks of his hair and pulls.  “This really sucks.”

“You’re not a bad friend for not liking him like that, dude,” he taps the toe of his converse against Kenny’s shoe.  “Doesn’t make you a shitty person. Lying does. Avoiding him forever does. But I get it. It’s a really awkward situation.”

“Unnng,” the shorter boy leans his head against the wall and taps his fingers on his knees, “Are you sure I can’t just avoid him all night? I mean, this is such a stereotypical middle school dance situation that it almost feels contrived.”

Craig smirks at that, sighing as he leans further against the hard wall.  “I’m sure one night isn’t going to make it worse. I won’t tell the gods that you’re trying to avoid your teen movie fate.”

“That’s so sweet.” He laughs, “I appreciate it.” Kenny pauses before smiling up at the taller boy and kicks his foot. “Wanna keep me company? You’re really good at hiding me after all.”

A laugh bubbles out of the noirette, meeting Kenny’s eyes briefly, “As long as no one shows up and tries to teach me a Very Important Lesson, yeah, sure.”  He takes another drink from his cup, seemingly forgetting what it contains for a fraction of a second before downing the rest.  “Clyde tells me I’m a prime blockade, anyway.”

“I can’t promise that, Tucker. Kyle is one of my best friends and I think he has a lesson qouta?”  Kenny bounces up, hopping on his toes for a moment before snatching Craig’s cup and pointing to the bowl. “As a thank you, Mr. Blockade, I’ll go get us a refill.” He saunters off and disappears between a few of the other students.

Craig looks after where Kenny slipped into the crowd, releasing a sigh and scanning the room.  Bright blue eyes meet his through the sea of his classmates, and before he fully realizes what’s happening, Butters is making a b-line for him and his spot against the wall.  _Well shit_.    
  
“Hey Butters,” he says evenly, watching the way the shorter boy bumps his knuckles together nervously. 

“Uh well, hiya Craig,” Butters smiles and mutters, his eyes darting around the room as if he’s looking for something. “You haven’t happen’ to see Kenny ‘round have you?” He asks, looking from Craig back to the crowd anxiously.

“Nope,” Craig lifts his shoulders in a shrug, popping the p.  “Can’t say that I have.”

“Well…awh, gee, if’a you see him can you tell him I was lookin’ for him?” He supplies shyly, bumping his knuckles again.

“Yeah, sure,” the noirette tries to offer a small smile, but the small blond boy doesn’t full meet his eyes.  “I’ll let him know. If I see him.”

“Oh okay, thank you.” The blond shuffles his feet before turning to leave, he pauses in his action, his back straightening as if he just decided something, and turns back around.

“Craig, can I ask you sumthin’ personal?”

He blinks at that, brow furrowing slightly.  “Sure, dude. What’s up?”

“It’s just, well, you and Tweek are datin’ right? An’ I was wonderin’ how’d you know you two liked each other? Ifa ya don’t mind me askin’?”  He seems really nervous to ask, his eyes watching his own shoes instead of looking up to meet Craig’s gaze.

The question catches him off guard.  He and Tweek are dating in the sense that they hang out, are best friends, and hold hands sometimes because the town went fucking insane when they tried to end their little pretend relationship years ago.  And it just kind of... _stuck_.  Craig doesn’t particularly mind, but as much as he had a mixture of maybe-sorta-kinda feelings beyond friendship for Tweek, they’ve since settled into something purely platonic.    
  
Which is probably _not_ the answer Butters is looking for. 

“It uh,” he so eloquently starts, eyes darting around the room in hopes that maybe the words he’s looking for will magically appear.  Green eyes catch a flash of blond, settling on Kenny across the gym, a boisterous laugh on his lips that Craig can almost hear, and he feels himself smile.  “It’s just kind of a warm feeling, in your chest. Kinda like you’re glowing, or something.” Craig rolls his shoulders, a little thrill running down his spine when Kenny’s eyes meet his briefly and he earns a wink from the blond.  “I dunno, it just sort of feels like home. Even if they’re a jackass.”

“Wow, even you think Tweek can be a jackass sumtimes? Golly, I thought when ya liked someone they seemed perfect or...gee.” Butters thinks about this, rubbing his neck gently with his hand. “Oh gosh, um, is it like how they make your insides feel like butterflies when they smile?” His lips pull in to a small shy smile, “Like, how their voice sounds like honey and their laugh makes ya heart skip?”

Something about Butters’ words makes his chest tight, swallowing hard around the lump in his throat as he watches Kenny double over in laughter at something Jimmy said.  “Yeah. Something like that.”

The blond watches Craig’s eyes and turns to see what he’s looking at, his eyes sparkling when he catches sight of Kenny. “Oh!” He almost shouts, covering his mouth with both hands and letting out a nervous laugh. “Hey! There he is!”

Blinking out of his daze, Craig’s frown deepens a fraction, mouth set in a firm line.  “Oh. Hey. There’s Kenny.”

Butters dances from foot to foot before turning to Craig with a bright smile, “No offense, Craig but I’ma go talk to Kenny now. Thank you for talkin’ to me!” He bounces a bit more before heading off towards the blond, whom at this point, notices the other heading for him.

There’s a look of sheer panic that crosses Kenny’s features at that moment, the two cups of punch in his hands almost dropping as Butters stops in front of him. Even from a distance anyone can see that Kenny is swaying a little on his feet, the concoction of mixed drinks taking a toll on him.  As the shorter boy stands closer, Kenny visibly takes a step back and they end up doing this dance a few times.

Craig tries to meet Kenny’s frantic stare, mouthing the words “Good luck, dude” when he gets his attention.

It doesn’t help, if the look on Kenny’s face gives any indication.

There’s a solid ten minutes after Kenny hands the drink to Butters where he is obviously having a deep conversation with him. They both glance over suspiciously to Craig a few times during this conversation and Butter’s is visibly growing more and more upset as the talk continues.  The noirette ignores the weird bursts of attention whenever he notices them, feigning interest in his other classmates and their questionable dance skills. There’s a point where something is said as Clyde walks by, and the look on his face is nothing short of shocked beyond all belief.

The brunette blinks dumbly before he turns on his heel dramatically, power walking directly to Craig, his eyes wide and in a state of surprise.

“ _Dude_ , Craig.  Craig my dude, my guy, my Craigory,” Clyde says as soon as he gets within ten feet of the taller boy.  “You will _never_ believe what I just heard.  There is a magical shit storm a-brewin’.”

“If you don’t be quiet the whole gym is going to hear whatever the hell you just did,” the taller boy quirks an eyebrow.  “What’s up?”  
  
“What _isn’t_ up?!” Clyde grips Craig’s arm, staring up at him imploringly.  “So Butters and Kenny. They’re talking. They’re doing a little chit-chat and I see Butters lookin’ _real_ sad, right?  So I slink over, bein’ super discrete.”  
  
“...Uh huh.”  
  
“And Butters is saying some shit like ‘Aw gee Kenny, you’re awful cute and you make me feel like jell-o’,” the brunette does his best impersonation of the small blond, twiddling his thumbs as he does.  “Which, like, we all knew. No surprise there. But then,” his hand tightens against Craig’s arm, shaking the appendage, “ _t_ _hen_ Kenny’s all ‘Shucks, Buttercup, I like you, but not like that.’ And then _Butters_ is like ‘Oh hamburgers, why not?’ And so Ken-”  
  
“Jesus, dude, is there a point to this?” the taller boy chances a glance at the two blonds across the gym.  “I don’t want to hear about him getting rejected, that’s fucking mean.”

“Kenny likes you.”  
  
That completely derails any thought Craig has.  His head snaps around, staring down at Clyde with a mixture of shock and confusion on his face.  “ _What_?”

Clyde rolls his eyes in a way that almost suggests _Yeah well if you’d let me finish you’d know_.  “Butters asked why, Kenny said he liked someone else.  Butters asked _wh_ _o_ , Kenny said _you_.”

Craig is a boy of few words unless the situation calls for it.  If words are nothing but something to fill the silence, he doesn’t see a point.  That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have things to say, and Craig has only been truly speechless twice in his life.    
  
Count this as the third.  
  
Clyde is still talking, hands gesturing excitedly next to the noirette, but Craig’s entire focus is on the sandy blond boy across the basketball court, freckles standing out against his cheeks even from this distance, a sad smile perched on his lips as he strolls easily back over to Craig.    
  
_Shit_.  
  
“And like, I know things are like _a thing_ with Tweek, but like,” Clyde cuts himself off, following Craig’s line of sight to the rapidly approaching Kenny.  “Aaaaaaaand he’s walking over here. Like now.”  
  
“I know.”

“And he _likes you, dude_.”

Craig shoots a glare at the brunette, no venom behind the expression, but using it as a mask to cover his apprehension. 

The blond in question stops when he arrives, standing next to Clyde, and narrows his eyes questionably. He lifts his cup and takes a large swig of the drink before attempting to speak, his words a little slurred. “What’s goin’ on folks?”

“ _Hey,_ Kenny,” Clyde pointedly looks at Craig, eyebrows wiggling as his eyes move back and forth between the other two boys.  “I’m gonna go over there, with my bae. My Bae Bae,” he shoots them some fingers guns, strolling away in what he probably thinks is probably the picture of nonchalance. 

Kenny snorts at Clyde’s nickname for his girlfriend and laughs under his breath. “Dude, you’re a riot,” he mutters at Clyde’s back before walking over and leaning against the wall next to Craig. “I think I scared Donovan away.”

“I think he scares himself away on a regular basis,” Craig deadpans, a small smirk on his lips at Kenny’s laugh.  “So. I see you got caught.”

Kenny runs a hand through his mess of locks before giving a lazy toothy grin to his friend, “Yeaaaah, Butters did the whole confession thing and I had to be the asshole I always knew he’d eventually realize I am.” He tries to play it off but his eyes are sad as he takes another drink.

“I’m sorry, dude,” the noirette murmurs, watching Kenny down the rest of his cup.  “You’re not an asshole, though. You just don't feel that way. He’ll be okay. It’s _Butters_ , he’ll bounce back.”

“It’s not fun to crush your best friends heart, man,” he grumbles, banging the back of his head against the wall. “But yeah, if you don’t feel it, you don’t feel it, yanno?”

Craig hums softly, biting the inside of his bottom lip at the way the blond sways in place.  “You okay?”

“I feel really dizzy.” Kenny leans more against the wall and sighs, “I think I drank too much.”

“Let me get you some water,” making sure Kenny is propped firmly against the wall, he turns to the punch table and crosses to it in a few quick strides.  He grabs a cup of water before taking a second for good measure, and walks back to the other boy, frowning when he notices he’s slipped a couple inches lower on the wall.  “You want some fresh air?”

The blond lets out a weird chuckle that sounds almost like a giggle, he looks confused that the sound even left his mouth as he blinks at Craig like _he_ made the weird noise. “I think, yeah.”

“Come here,” Craig sticks out his elbow for Kenny to grab onto, rolling his eyes as another weird string of laughter bubbles out of the blond’s mouth.  “Grab our coats and we can go out back.”

“That sounds like a...” he stares at Craig’s arm, not moving, just staring.  It takes him a second before he realizes he hadn’t been speaking and takes his offered arm. “A good idea. Whoops, forgot to talk.”

“Don’t go turning into Stan on me, dude,” Craig smiles, pulling the other along to the coat room.  He watches Kenny frumble around in the closet before emerging with their coats, a goofy yet pleased look overtaking the blond’s face before shrugging on his parka and relooping their arms with a giggle.  Craig snorts, leading them to the double doors, “Well, I mean, at least you’re laughing.”

“I would be honored to be Stanley,” Kenny retorts, before scrunching his face up. “Okay. But, the laughing, I’m not telling me to laugh, me is just letting it happen and it’s getting annoying,” he pouts, leaning heavily on Craig as they walk.

“Because you’re drunk, dude,” the noirette turns, using his side to push open the door and suppressing a chill when the crisp night air hits him. 

Another fit of melodical laughter flits out of the drunk boy as he stumbles over the stairs leading away from the doorway. “Duhhh, no shit Sherlock. What was your first clue?” He jokes, his shoulders shaking.

“Okay, no falling down the stairs for you,” Craig stops, shoving a cup of water into Kenny’s hands so he can help the shorter boy sit on the bottom step.  He settles down next to him, slipping his arms into his own jacket and picking up the water again, fingers tapping against the cup.

As soon as the cup is in his hands he raises and drinks a few sips, he pulls a face before sighing loudly. “Man. Why do we even go to these stupid dances anyway? It’s all stupid.  Like, I get that it’s part of the middle school experience,” he throws up air quotation marks over ‘middle school experience’ before rolling his eyes. “But it’s dumb as hell. Just another excuse for drama and people grinding on each other.”

“And now you _really_ sound like Stan.”  Craig sighs, a white puff of his breath escaping into the night.  It was April already, and it was still cold as fuck, flurries of snow popping up around the town periodically.  “Plus, I thought you were super into grinding up on people,” he knocks their shoulders together, watching Kenny’s throat bob when he takes another drink. 

“Ha ha,” he laughs, looking out over the courtyard. “Yeah well, it’s all fun and games until you hurt someone’s feelings, I guess.”

“Guess so,” Craig’s voice is soft, drawing his eyes away from the boy next to him and glancing up at the cloudy sky.  “I really am sorry.”

Kenny tips the cup against his lips for a couple of minutes, quietly sipping at the water until he’s wobbling less on the stairs. He places the cup on the ground next to him and shifts so his palms are flat against the cold concrete behind him. Leaning back against them, he frowns at the night sky.  “Feelings are weird anyway, so it’s all good in the neighborhood, dude.”

“They are.”  Leaning forward, Craig rests his elbows on his knees, watching his breath curl and disappear into the night.  “They fuck everything up, sometimes.”

“I wish we could just turn them off,” Kenny scoffs and sticks his tongue out at the stars, “we’re like fourteen dude, we shouldn’t have to worry about this bullshit!” Kenny rolls his eyes hard before laughing, “I mean. Like, dude, we’re about to start high school. Shouldn’t we be dealing with emotions and shit _in high school?_ ” The blond pauses before kicking Craig’s converse with his shoe, “What am I talking about? You don’t gotta worry bout this kinda crap, you and Tweek have it all sorted out.”  The other boy tilts his head, eyeing Craig. His bangs shift over his eyes as a look of mischief glitters in them. “ _Lucky, assholes_.”

Shaking his head, Craig looks over his shoulder at the blond.  “No we don’t. We’re not even like…” he huffs out a deep breath, “We’re not like.  _Dating_.  I’m just as messed up about this shit as you are.”

“Well, shit dude.” Kenny breathes out, his expression one of dumbfounded shock. “Dude. Like, what? Y’all have been dating since…” Kenny raises his hand and counts on his fingers, leaning forward as he does. “Uhhh since like, fourth grade right?” His tone sounds confused as he narrows his eyebrows.

“Yeah, and we _tried_ to break up then,” he sits back a little, turning back to face the courtyard.  “And the adults in this town are fucking crazy. I think my dad may have an actual heart attack if he found out we weren’t dating.  He was more invested in it than anyone.” A strained sound leaves Craig’s lips, morphing into a laugh. “How messed up is that.”

Kenny stares out into the courtyard and just blinks absently at the scenery. The silence is deafening, the music from the dance inside almost haunting as it floats towards the boys on the stairs.

“I’m really sorry,” Kenny starts, his eyes lowering as he stares at his own hands, flexing them before wiping his palms on the knees of his jeans. “That sounds like it’s been hard to deal with.”

“It’s not so bad,” the noirette shrugs a shoulder, shuffling his feet against the concrete.  “Like we’re best friends, I don’t mind hanging out or anything. We did it anyway, before that whole thing with the Asian girls happened, but like.  I don’t know. It’s fine.”

Kenny hums under his breath, pulling out his phone.  He unlocks the screen and taps a few things with his thumbs before offering a gentle smile to Craig. “I owe Cartman fifteen bucks because of you.”

He scoffs before the little ding on his phone alerts him to another message, as his eyes are on the bubble, a dust of pink crosses over his field of freckles.  Kenny quickly pockets his phone and mutters to himself as he rolls his eyes to the heavens. “Jeez, _dumbasses._ ”

“What?” Craig asks, eyes following the disappearing phone. 

A small noise leaves Kenny’s lips as he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “Okay so like, a couple of weeks ago the guys and I were talking, right? And the topic of you and Tweek pop up. Cartman insisted you two weren’t really dating and I told him he was full of shit.” Kenny pauses, a crooked awkward smile, “He claimed that y’all never kissed in public therefore you weren’t really dating. Stan agreed because him and Wendy do it all the time around people and Kyle and I disagreed because we assumed y’all just didn't like PDA. Sooo…” Kenny shrugs and offers his hands in a ‘oops’ gesture. “Cartman bet me fifteen dollars ya’ll weren’t dating and I took him up on it, cause dude, why would you be in a _fake_ relationship? You’re Craig Tucker, ya don’t do shit you don’t wanna be doing.” Kenny looks a little worn out for a second, annoyed even, as he reaches for his cup.

“But I guess even Craig Tucker gives into peer pressure.”

“You guys are a bunch of assholes,” the taller boy says, words even before he chuckles low in his chest.  “Whatever. Yeah, I guess. They just made it such a big deal, and it was so much _less_ of a deal if we went along with it, so.  That happened.”

“We are what we are,” Kenny supplies as he drinks some of his water, his eyes watching Craig as he does so. “That’s...depressing, actually.” He rests the cup on his knee as he frowns, “Like being trapped?”

He’s sighing an awful lot more than he’d like to be.  “I guess so? I mean it’s not horrible. Kinda sucks to not actually date someone you like though.”  That sounds bad. Craig frowns at his words, trying again. “Like I like him, I just don’t like him like that.  He’s my friend.”

A sly look crosses Kenny’s features as he lifts his eyebrows, “Oh ho, is there someone you would _rather_ be dating, Tucker?” He lifts his cup to his lips and takes another sip as he watches the other boy freeze up.

Craig raises an eyebrow at the blond after a beat, ignoring how hard his heart is hammering in his chest at the question.  “Well, if I liked someone, I’d want to be dating them. That’s kinda...obvious, don’t you think?”

“See, now, I would think that, but apparently you’re all smoke and mirrors, dude,” Kenny laughs as he puts his cup down. “What with your fake relationship and stuff.”

“What about you?” Craig counters, a smile tugging at his lips.  “You’ve got all this,” he waves his hand in a sort of all-encompassing gesture, “going on, but you’re not like that.  Not really.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kenny asks, confusion written on his face. “‘All this,’ what?”

“ _You,_ you put up a front, and then you get all nervous even thinking about someone having a crush on you.”

Kenny’s cheeks light up, he turns his face away in a huff as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans them on his knees. “Dude. Not cool, man. I’m not _nervous_ , and I don’t put up a front.” He pouts openly as he glares at a random star in the sky.

“You do.  You’re doing it now,” Craig kicks at Kenny’s foot.  “We all do, I guess.”

“You’re so annoying,” Kenny grunts, his shoulders raising slightly, “why am I even taking this abuse from you? At least I don’t pretend to date people.” The blond sticks his tongue out at the other boy before going quiet.

“You’re right,” the noirette replies through a grin, taking a small sip of water before handing the cup over to the other boy.  “So. Butters.”

Kenny stares openly at the cup that Craig had just taken a drink out of. He doesn’t answer immediately, almost seeming dazed before he blinks and looks up. “What about him?”

“What happened? I mean, I know he said he liked you, but,” he trails off, watching Kenny stare at the cup in his hands.  “You were talking for a while.”

“Oh,” blue eyes shoot up from the cup to glance at Craig before they drop back to the cup in his hands again. His cheeks are rosy as he makes a weird face, obviously deep in thought.

He takes a good minute to answer, shrugging one shoulder cooly. “Nothing much. Just, uh, the usual. Sorry Buttercup, I can’t date you. I don’t feel that way. Blah blah blah, typical middle school dance bullshit.”

“What’d he say to that?” Craig asks cautiously, trying not to sound like he’s prying.  “You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t wanna, sorry.”

“Dramatics,” Kenny embellishes, waving his hand back and forth. “He asked me why, like me just not liking him isn’t reason enough? And that was that.”

Humming softly, the taller boy watches different emotions flick across Kenny’s profile.  “‘M sorry.”

“It is what it is. It’s been a long time coming. I should have nipped his crush in the bud but I just, I don’t know. I ignored it? It’s probably my fault he had it in the first place, what with my ridiculous flirting and whatnot.” Kenny grumbles under his breath something that sounds suspiciously like ‘i _t isn’t like I flirt with people I actually like_ ’ and ‘ _he shoulda’ known better_.’

Craig latches onto those muttered words, filing them away with Clyde’s acquired information.  “Not your fault. And now that he knows, he can move on. Maybe find a nice Kardashian or something.”

The other boy laughs, his body shaking with mirth as he scrubs his face with his hands. “Yeah, how was I supposed to live up to Kim Kardashian anyway?”

“Easily,” Craig joins Kenny in his laughter, accidentally knocking their shoulders together.  “And then some.”

“That’s good to know, I guess.”  The shorter boy smiles softly as his fit of laughter dies down, his eyes landing back on the cup on his hand before he lifts it to his lips. The blond pauses before he presses his lips fully against the plastic, cheeks red when he finally takes a drink.

“You’re cool,” the words come easily to Craig, even if the flush on his cheeks makes him stutter a moment later.  “I mean like...you’re okay to hang out with and stuff. Like someone would be lucky to like...date you or whatever.”

“I thought you hated us.” Kenny asks quietly, his eyes gazing at Craig over the cup still near his lips. “And by us, I mean me and my friends,” He pauses and takes another sip of water. “When did I suddenly get cool and dateable, huh?”

Craig clears his throat, trying to will away his annoying blush.  “You’re not _them_.  They still suck pretty hard, but you’re not like them.  Not really, anyway.” He chances a look at the boy next to him, “And I dunno, all the girls think you’re cute.”

“Ah, yes. True.” The blond tilts his head and swishes the water around in the cup, staring at the water as it swirls inside.  “Can’t go wrong with the Sparkle Sunshine lists.” Kenny says as he puts the cup down between them. “Yanno, you’re generally at the top of those too, but you’re gay and, as far as they knew, taken.”

He makes a face at that, tugging on one of his hat tassels.  “What.”

“You know, the lists?” Kenny lifts both hands and lifts them in a shrug. “You’re normally at the tip-top but like, you were off limits. Aka, the girls also think you’re cute, dumbass.”

“Oh,” Craig nudges a rock around with the toe of his shoe, scratching at his cheek.  “I never thought of that. Not after like...fifth grade.”

“Well, duh. You’re gay, why would you?” A laugh fills the air as Kenny leans on his knees, “I get to join the list making sessions sometimes. The girls like my input and I’m an honorary girl after all those summers we played Stick of Truth.” He rests his cheek on his palm and stares at the night sky, “They even call me Lady McCormick, it’s cute.”

“Not ‘Princess’?” Craig smirks, eyes sweeping over Kenny before looking at the stars peeking through the clouds overhead.  “At least one of them is probably planning a way to lure you into her arms or something.”

A light chuckle leaves Kenny’s lips as his eyes crinkle with a bright smile, “I do miss people addressing me as Princess,” he admits before tapping his own thumb on his cheek. “Mmm. That would be kinda hard since I don’t like any of them like that.”

Craig pauses, the night air shifting around them as he bites at the inside of his bottom lip.  “Is there someone you do like? Like that?”

The question catches Kenny off guard, his eyes widening comically as his mouth opens and closes a couple of times soundlessly.

“Hey, what’re you losers doing out here?” a voice calls from behind them, Kenny turning when he hears Stan. He looks really excited as he bounces off of the stairs and stands up straight. “Staniel! Where’s Wendy?” Kenny looks around before walking over to his friend who, as soon as he gets close enough, realizes he smells heavily of booze.

Kenny pinches his nose and squints his eyes, “Uh...Stan?”

Stan waves his hand absently, as if trying to physically shoo Kenny’s words away.  “What th’hell, Ken, you disappeared’n me,” he sways a bit on his feet, hand clamping down on the blond’s shoulder to steady himself.  
  
“He needed some air,” Craig bites out from his seat on the stairs, eyes narrowed at the other noirette. 

Stan follows the voice, his eyes falling on Craig before they dart back up to Kenny accusingly. “You’ditch me for _Craig_?” he almost spits out.

Kenny lifts both his hands to steady his friend, his eyes looking hurt. “Dude. How much have you had to drink?”

“Not ‘nuff,” the other suggests, leaning into Kenny’s palms on his shoulders. “Kennnnny,” he whines out, giving the other a puppy dog pout, or at least the best he can in his state. “Craig? R’ally?”

Kenny rolls his eyes and looks down at Craig, “Dude. Shut up, you’re drunk. Don’t be an ass.”

“M’not,” Stan slurs, face scrunching up in a pout.  “Y’don’t even _like_ Craig, why’re you here with’m?”  
  
Craig rises from his step, tucking his hands into his pockets and pointedly avoiding Stan’s unfocused gaze.  As much as being in the blond’s company was making his stomach twist in excited knots, the addition of an of his asshole friends was not something he wanted to be involved in right now.  “I’m gonna head out, Kenny.”

The blond looks between the two of them in a panic, unsure what to say or do. He’s about to open his mouth when another person’s voice calls ahead of them.

“Ayyyy, what kinda weird shit is happening out here?”

Kenny almost rolls his eyes so hard they could disappear in his head as Stan twists to face the voice.

“Car’man, you w’man stealer!!” He growls, his fist raising before taking a few stumbling steps forward. The blond hurries and follows him, grabbing his arm to stabilize him, looking out of his element and confused.

Cartman has the decency to take a step back as he raises his eyebrows at Stan, turning his attention to Kenny as the blond speaks. “Jesus, Eric, what did you _do_?”

“This time,” Craig mumbles under his breath.  
  
“He kissed Wendy!” Taking a stumbling step forward, Stan tries to jab a finger in Cartman’s face, missing and nearly falling if it weren’t for the grip Kenny had on him. 

“Holy shit, you did _what_?” Kenny hisses at his larger friend as the boy grins like the cat that caught the canary.

“She wanted it, what’s the big deal? Not my fault he can’t balance his girlfriend _and_ boyfriend at the same time,” Cartman sneers as Stan’s mouth drops open. Kenny gives Cartman a withering look before he lets go of Stan, hands up in the air.

“Get ‘em,” Kenny whispers to Stan as he gets out of the way.  It takes Cartman two seconds to realize that Stan’s free, the look of terror crossing his previously pleased expression.

Stan takes a step forward before gritting his teeth and swinging his fist, he misses and Kenny just stands back next to Craig to watch Cartman and Stan dance around each other.

“So. Middle school dances, huh?” Kenny supplies as he clicks his tongue, annoyed at his friends as he watches them tumble to the ground.

“This is why nobody likes hanging out with you guys,” Craig says softly through a grin, watching Cartman stumble over his feet in an attempt to get away from a drunkenly swinging Stan Marsh. 

“I know,” Kenny agrees.

Green eyes drift to the side, taking in the boy next to him.  “Wanna get out of here?”

“Jesus, _yes_ ,” Kenny responds as he watches Clyde peek his head out of the doorway and screaming, ‘FIGHT!! FIGHT, FIGHT!’ as the other kids start filling out of the gymnasium to watch the scuffle.

“Goddamnit, Clyde,” Craig sighs, grabbing the elbow of Kenny’s parka and pulling him around the corner of the building when he looks like he’s ready to jump in to help Stan tackle Cartman to the ground.

“Your friends are just as bad,” Kenny comments as he’s dragged along by his sleeve.  He watches the fight as he’s taken away, feeling bad for not helping Stan. When they turn the corner his frowns. “Do you think they’ll be okay?” he asks with concern in his voice.

“Sure,” Craig drones, heading toward the front gate of the school, “they’re emotionally unstable, inebriated teenagers.  What could possibly go wrong?”

“I...do you think I should go back? What if Stan really hurts Eric? Kyle isn’t there to stop him...” he mutters, looking back to where the others were, still not pulling against Craig’s attached hand.

Hearing the genuine concern in Kenny’s voice warms something in his chest, even if he thinks Cartman completely deserves whatever he gets.  “I don’t think Stan is going to be able to do any real damage. He’ll be okay. Plus, if Clyde ran out, it means Token is out there too and he’ll be the one responsible kid and put an end to it if anything gets bad.”

“You have a point, Token is just as responsible as Kyle.” Kenny sighs, obviously relaxing at that idea.  He allows himself to be pulled along by the taller boy, no longer questioning if he should go back.

Nodding, Craig’s grip on Kenny drops, walking in companionable silence with the blond down the sidewalk, no particular destination in mind.  Just away from their damn school would suffice.

It’s quiet, as South Park generally is at night.  The two of them walking in pace as Kenny stares at the sky above them, his hands in his pockets. He looks like he wants to say something a few times but chooses to bite his bottom lip instead.

As they walk he starts whistling out a tune, and as Kenny continues it becomes clearer that it’s ‘Uncle Fucker’ from _Asses of Fire_.

The noirette chuckles at that, singing along softly as they make their way down the street.

At Craig’s singing Kenny decides to join instead of whistling, belting out the lyrics loudly, uncaring if the town was going to be disturbed or not.

The two boys, grinning ear to ear, heads thrown back and shouting to the sky, graced their tiny little hick town with the final verse, both yelling ‘ _Suck my balls’_ as loud as they could before descending into a fit of laughter. 

When a window of a house across the street flies open, it’s owner booming out, “I’LL GIVE YOU SOME BALLS TO SUCK, YOU LITTLE PRICKS,” Craig grabs a hysterically laughing Kenny, dragging him down the street in a run, ducking between two houses at the end of the street. 

“Oh my _God_ ,” Kenny cackles and falls to the ground as soon as they’re away from the screaming man, pounding his fist on the frozen ground with laughter. “What the hell. That was hilarious!”

Craig falls against the fence at his back, sliding down the wood panels, barely containing his giggles.  “Fuck, he was so _mad_.”

“I thought he was actually gonna follow us!” Kenny snorts out a barely contained laugh as he shifts to sit on the ground, back to the fence.

“I don’t know about you,” the taller boy somehow manages to get out around the chuckles that he can’t suppress, “but I don’t wanna suck any balls tonight.”

Kenny tries so hard to supply the other boy with a witty comment. The blond’s face contorting before he’s back at a fit of laughter, his eyes closed and his shoulders shaking. 

It takes him a few minutes to collect himself, wiping the tears out of his eyes. “That certainly does not sound like consent, buddy. Don’t let PC Principal hear you say that.”

“Oh my God,” Craig leans heavily against the fence, shoulders still shaking, “trust me, I know _all_ about consent.  There will be no ball-sucking on my part tonight.”

“Says the gay boy,” Kenny responds with a hint of irony in his voice. He holds a straight face for a moment before the giggles take him again.

“So what, are you down to suck some random guy’s balls, then?” Craig has to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep his laughter down. 

“Hell no, man. If any balls ever go in this mouth, they won’t be old balls, that’s for sure.” The other snorts out, rolling his eyes.

Craig’s face flushes at that, hiding his pink cheeks with another fit of snickering.  “T-that’s fair, I guess. I mean, if you’re down to have balls in your mouth they might as well be balls you like.”

“Do you remember when Chef used to serve those Chocolate salty balls?” Kenny starts, his laughter barely contained as he chuckles behind his hand.   “The others never really understood why I thought that song was so fucking funny. Well, a year ago we heard a recording and they finally understood it sounded like Chef wanted to put his balls in everyone’s mouths and dude they _lost it_.”

Puffing his cheeks out in an attempt to hold back his giggles, Craig shuts his eyes tight, finally losing the battle.  “Holy _fuck_.”

Kenny smiles brightly at the boy next to him as he loses his battle against the laughter, watching Craig bend in half to laugh. The shorter boy lifts his hand and pats the noirette on the back, “Breathe man, breathe.”

With a final snort, the taller boy closes his eyes, a deep contented breath leaving his lips.  “Why are balls so damn funny.”

“Dude, why wouldn’t they be?” he asks, lifting an eyebrow before reaching over to straighten Craig’s chullo, the hat having slipped at some point during his raucous laughter.

The noirette’s eyes follow the motion, a goofy smile perched on his lips when Kenny’s knuckles brush his cheek.  He realizes belatedly that he still hasn’t answered, instead too busy watching the way the blond tugs on one of the tassels.

Kenny’s hands linger a little too long on his hat, his eyes shining with the light of the street lamp.  His fingers twitch before they’re gone, his freckles dusted in a fresh rosy color high on his cheeks. “Man, it’s really cold out here,” he states, pocketing his hands and retrieving his gloves.

“Yeah,” Craig hears himself say, watching the color bloom over Kenny’s face as he fishes for his own in his pockets.  “Maybe we should...um…”

“Go back to the dance?” he questions, not sure what Craig wanted to do exactly. He smiles sideways and bumps the other boys shoulder, “Or do you have a better idea?”

“God, anything but the dance,” he pushes off from the ground, straightening his jacket and offering a newly gloved hand to Kenny.

Kenny takes the offered hand and stands up, holding on to the other boy’s and not letting go. He grins and starts swinging their joined hands as he turns heel and starts walking in the opposite direction of the school. “Okay, then let’s go throw rocks at Starks Pond.”

“Thought you were cold,” Craig’s mouth curves into a grin, ignoring how hot his cheeks feel despite the chill in the air. 

“Mmm, the walking will warm me up.” He jokes before swinging their hands again. “Walking will help me get this alcohol out of my system, too.”

Their arms swinging between them brings Craig back from the end of middle school and stupid dances to elementary school, running around armed with badminton rackets and Nerf arrows, superhero franchises rising and falling, and the bright boy at his side right at the center of it all.

“What’s on your mind?” Kenny asks, tilting his head at the question. “You look like you’re thinking about something?”

Craig hums in the back of his throat.  “Me? Thinking? You really are hilarious, McCormick,” the noirette smirks down at the other, enjoying the feeling of Kenny at his side.

“Hey, that’s not very nice.” Kenny snickers at the joke, squeezing the taller boys hand.  Craig tries and fails to ignore how much the casual touch is affecting him, unable to stop himself from glancing over at the blond and his gap toothed smile.  “Come on, share.”

He pauses, trying to formulate his thoughts without seeming like a complete creeper. “Just about when we were younger, y’know? Like all the crazy games and stuff we played in elementary school.”

Kenny thinks about this for a few minutes as they walk, he looks down at their feet and for fun he changes his pace to be in sync with Craig. The sandy blond grins up at him when the other glances down at their feet and notices.

“Like when I was a Princess?” He asks before tilting his head back and forth, “Or the time I was Mysterion?”

“Both,” the noirette answers before he realizes it, laughing a little as he tries to distract from the redness spreading over his cheeks by rubbing at the back of his neck. “It was...really fun.  Like tonight.”

The blond swings their hands a little higher and hums, “You just like it when I dress up as characters, huh? I’m a great actor!”

“Nah,” Craig replies quietly, watching the pond start to appear over the crest of the hill, snowflakes beginning to fall and swirl around them. “You're just...I dunno, you're fun to be around. I guess.”

A rosy blush crosses across Kenny’s cheeks and he laughs loud and obnoxiously at that. “Did you just admit to having fun with me, Tucker?”

“I think the more surprising thing is _me_ admitting to having _fun_ ,” the taller boy shoots Kenny a smirk, taking in the pink dusting his cheeks. “But...yeah. You're pretty cool. Y’know, considering your friends are kinda...meh.”

“Yours are no better.” Kenny retorts, sticking his tongue out at the other.

Craig snorts, unable to suppress a laugh. “I never said they were. Except Token. He's a treasure.”

“I agree, he’s a such a national treasure that Nicolas Cage wants to steal him.” Kenny bumps Craig’s shoulder for that joke before he lets go of his hand and runs toward the pond they had just arrived at.

“Dude look! It’s totally frozen over. Wanna try to walk on it?” He asks, wiggling his eyebrows at the noirette.

“I'm good, man,” he holds up his hands, walking down to the bank but not daring to step on the ice. “It can't have been frozen for very long, and I...um, I fell in a couple years ago,” he admits quietly.  “I'm good.”

“Wuss.” Kenny jokes as he steps out on the ice, giggling under his breath. He’s careful, testing his weight before taking a few more steps. “Aw, come on Tucker. It’s fine!”

Craig watches Kenny, having a momentary lapse in judgement and resting a toe against the edge of the ice before withdrawing his foot.  “Dude, just come back,” he tries for a laugh to hide any anxiousness that might slip through his words.

The blond slides across the ice gracefully before he comes back to the shore line. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He walks forward and pokes Craig’s nose with a smile.

Shaking his head, he takes Kenny’s hands and helps him back onto the bank.  “You didn’t. Just paranoid or whatever,” Craig releases his hands awkwardly, fingers darting up to tug at his hat and twist in the tassle. 

“Uh huh, suuuuure.” As soon as the taller boy let’s go of Kenny’s hands he bolts sideways and makes a snowball. He tosses it at Craig, hitting him in the chest, causing the blond to erupt in a fit of giggles.

A sly grin spreads over Craig’s lips as he stoops down to scoop up some snow.  “Alright you little shit,” he packs the snow into a ball between his hands and chucks it at Kenny, getting him in the shoulder.

“Aaahh, fuck that’s cold!” Kenny grimaces as he shapes another snowball to hit Craig with. “Stop having such good aim you cheater!”

“It’s all those years of baseball none of us wanted to play!” the noirette laughs, gathering more snow.

“Oooh, shut up. I don’t even wanna remember playing that horrid game.” Kenny wrinkles his nose up as he closes one eye. His tongue peeks between his lips as he aims, smacking Craig in the chest with his snowball.

“Oh shit! I did it!” Kenny whoops, jumping up and down before he sees Craig heading for him. He laughs and runs to hide behind a tree. “Spare me!”

“Never!”  Craig approaches the tree with an air of nonchalance, seeing Kenny peek out before disappearing behind the trunk again.  “Oh no,” he deadpans, leaning back against the tree, “it seems dear Kenneth has disappeared. Whatever will I do with this perfectly good ball of condensed snow?”

“You could drop it and leave Kenneth alone?” He muses, trying to tiptoe quietly from behind the nearest tree to the next one.

“See, I could,” he turns his head with a grin, watching the vibrant orange parka defy all laws of stealth and head toward another tree.  “But there would be negative fun in that.” Just as Kenny is about to duck behind the tree, Craig throws the snowball, it zooming past the blond’s head and exploding against the other tree.

“Y’EEP!” Kenny squeaks as the snowball whizzes past his head, mere inches from his ear.  “Je- _suuuus_ , Craig!” he whines, turning to pout at the tall boy. “You tryin’a kill me?”

“Nope,” the smile is still firmly planted on the Craig’s face as he walks over to Kenny, another snowball at the ready. “Why’d I wanna do that?”

The blond widens his blue eyes and wobbles his bottom lip. He holds both of his hands together in a begging motion. “Have mercy, oh Tall One. I knew not who I was challenging when I launched the first ball.”

Craig schools his face into his most neutral expression, quirking an eyebrow. “Thought balls were off the menu tonight, McCormick.  And yet, here you are, chucking them at me,” he manages to say without completely losing his shit.

The corner of Kenny’s lip quirks, but he quickly changes his expression back to that of begging for mercy. “I beg your forgiveness. I will ask next time I chuck a ball at your face, I promise.”  A cheeky smile stretches slowly over his lips.

Craig sucks his bottom lip into his mouth, brow furrowing and nodding in a desperate attempt to hold back his laughter.  “Great. Yeah. Um...affirmative consent.”

“You sure do like holding onto that ball, Craigo.” Kenny jokes, seeing that Craig’s about to crack. “When you’re gay, does holding balls become, like, a past time?”

“Oh, yeah totally,” a tiny chuckle escapes him. Craig takes another step toward the other boy, “I’ve also become really proficient at throwing my balls around.”

“Please,” Kenny tries so hard not to laugh, “please Craig. Don’t throw your balls at me!”

“I dunno, Kenny.” Another step, his smirk continuing to grow.  “All’s fair in love and balls.” Craig crushes his snowball in his hand into the short boy’s hair.

The blond dramatically falls to his knees, hands brushing at Craig’s fingers to try and free his hair of the icy death. “Noooooo! Not my perfectly quaffed locks!”

Craig doubles over laughing, snorting loudly and quickly clamping a hand over his face in embarrassment despite the wild giggles still erupting from his mouth.  “A-are you sure _you’re_ not the gay one, dude?”

Kenny quirks an eyebrow at that, his gapped teeth flashing in a bright smile as he wiggles the quirked brow. “Wouldn’t _you_ like to know?”

The laughter dies away on the noirette’s tongue, and he pointedly ignores the heat spreading over his face.  “You know me, I’m the gossip master of South Park.”

“Didn’t Wikileaks expose you for being a media whore?” The blond laughs, standing up and bouncing on his heels. “That’s ok. You’ll be the first to know when I figure it out myself, deal?”

“Deal,” Craig smiles, a puff of air leaving his lips and dissipating in the night air.  Something somehow feels a little different, a warmth blooming in his chest that he wasn’t expecting, especially after their impromptu snowball fight.  

Blue eyes dart from the night sky back to Craig’s face, back to the sky, before he speaks again.

“How did you know?” He asks, almost shyly. “Was it because of Tweek? That you realized?  I mean, now I know you’re not really together, but did uh...did you kiss him?” Kenny kicks some snow and smirks, trying to hide how nervous he really looks. “Asking for a friend.” He adds, obviously not. 

“I did, yeah.”

“Were you guys curious? Is that why you kissed?  To...see?”

He watches the blond fidget nervously, making an effort to not meet Craig’s eyes.  “I mean…” the noirette takes a deep breath, mulling over his long-winded answer and trying to condense it into something that actually made _sense_.  “I guess, in theory, yeah?  I’d never really thought about it before the whole _yaoi_ thing, y’know? Never really looked at girls seriously or anything, and then me and Tweek…” he trails off, shrugging a shoulder and pocketing his hands.  “Even if we’re not dating for real, I felt something after a while. It’s faded, but I mean...yeah. I guess so.” Craig raises his eyes to look at Kenny, an awkward laugh leaving him, “I don’t know if that answered your question.”

“Mmm, kinda?” Kenny had been listening the whole time, his face passive.  “Did you realize you were when…” he trails off before trying again. “Was it when you kissed him for the first time?”

Biting the inside of his bottom lip in thought, Craig gathered snow against the toe of his shoe.  “I think so. Like...I knew I felt _something_ , but that made it,” he pauses, searching for the right word, “different.”

Kenny hums under his breath as he lifts his arms to put them behind his head, looking up at the sky. “Weird. Do you think I’d have to kiss a guy to know?”

His cheeks flush at that, watching breath swirl from Kenny’s mouth, eyes focusing on his lips, slightly chapped from the cold.  “I don’t think it’s necessary. But I think for some people it might help. Maybe.”

Kenny’s eyes dart back to Craig’s face and catch his eyes on his lips. He blinks a few times before smiling. “You wanna volunteer? For science?”

Craig’s thoughts completely derailed at that question, body going rigid for a moment before he tried to regain some manner of composure, for his cheeks to not be the approximation of a ripe tomato, his voice to come out in something other than a bizarre squeak.  _A_ _nything_.    
  
“U-uhm,” he sputters out oh-so eloquently, blinking up at the sky as though the cosmos would help him.  “I mean, if it’s for, y’know, _science_ , I guess I would be stupid to say no.”

The boy drops his arms to his side, staring at the noirette. “Really?” It takes two beats before Kenny is walking across the snow to stand in front of Craig. He tilts his head when Craig looks as if he’s torn between wanting to run and staying firmly still.

“Okay.” Kenny closes his eyes and stands there, expectantly. “Go for it. Show me the gay way, Sensei.”

With the blond’s eyes no longer on him, Craig allows himself a second to panic.    
  
This scene, Kenny standing ready and waiting before him, eyes closed and lips just the slightest bit parted, has been something that he’s definitely thought about on more than one occasion.  It would be so easy to lean into his space and seal their lips together for a fleeting moment to accomplish Kenny’s little science experiment. And he wants to, _fuck_ he _really_ wants to, but…  
  
He’s afraid.  Afraid that the shorter boy will instantly pull away, disgusted, or that Craig will do something stupid and mess up this friendship between them that’s only really just started to grow. 

But Kenny’s still waiting patiently, his tongue poking between his lips hesitantly to wet them before it disappears back into his mouth, leaving Craig staring and mirroring the small motion a moment later.  This was Kenny’s idea. He asked. He said it was _okay_.

Craig takes a half step forward, ducking his head and closing the distance between himself and the blond, feeling gentle puffs of air wash over his face before he presses his lips against Kenny’s. 

There’s the briefest of moments where Kenny presses his lips tentatively back against Craig’s before the kiss ends.

Bright blue eyes snap open. Shock is written on his features before he’s staring at Craig. “I didn’t actually think you’d do it,” he muses, a crooked smile on his lips. “But dude, thanks.” He chuckles, his cheeks the reddest they’ve been all night.

Craig nods, words not quite making their way past his throat for the time being.  The blush on Kenny’s cheeks is doing funny things to his stomach, and that combined with the lingering warmth from the other’s lips against his has him shaken _and_ stirred in a way he doesn’t think he’s ever felt before.  He didn’t see fireworks in their brief kiss, but an entire universe of blinding lights, stars and galaxies and Craig joining them in how _bright_ he must be burning.    
  
“Yeah...dude, of course,” he finally finds the words and puts them in a coherent order, giving himself a mental pat on the back.

The blond takes a few steps backwards before he pauses, coming back, almost as if he had second thoughts. “Something else I wanted to to try, for science of course.” He lifts his hands, one on Craig’s shoulder and one on his waist and grins.

“Dancing.”

Of course, dancing.  Wait.  
  
“What? No.  No, Kenny, I don’t dance.  At all. Ever,” Craig chuckles, nerves getting the better of him.  “Like falling through the pond would be less painful than me dancing.”

“Nonsense,” Kenny smiles, close to Craig’s face.The blond guides them across the snow in slow steady movements, taking the lead and guiding the taller boy’s clumsy footsteps.   _The waltz_ , Craig’s mind supplies him.

“Look, were waltzing,” Kenny giggles and swirls them across the fresh snow, gliding left and right in the smooth exchange of feet, back and forth, to Craig’s surprise.

“You’re a natural.” Kenny whispers, his words almost lost to the wind with how quiet they were.

“I’m really not,” he replies, voice dropping unconsciously to match Kenny’s, still marveling at how easily the blond made each fluid movement appear.  Craig’s hand rests against the curve of Kenny’s waist, and he wonders how even through so many layers he can still feel the warmth of the boy in front of him.  “Where did you learn to dance?”

“While you jerks took all the lame, dangerous classes, I took all the cool, _fun_ ones,” he responds coolly, as he quickly dips the taller boy and pulls him back up as if nothing even happened. “You know: Home Ecc, Chorus, _Dancing_.”

A goddamn _giggle_ sneaks its way out of Craig’s mouth at the dip.  “Didn’t know we had a dancing class. Definitely didn’t think we were cultured enough to do anything but awkwardly grind on each other in this fucking town.”

The giggle sparks a smile he’d never seen on Kenny’s face before. The boys bright blue eyes lighting up as he kicks snow out of their way, a cascade of powder glittering in the night as they pass through it.

“Is that some kinda invitation, Tucker?” the shorter boy asks, his voice sounding a little more steady than it had earlier.

“What, they teach you that, too? Or was that in home ecc?” His cheeks flush at his own words, trying to cover at least a little of his street cred with a smirk.  “Not really sure what category grinding falls under.”

“Actually,” Kenny snorts openly, “Home ecc taught us to take our boyfriends to Hawaii to improve our sex lives.” He pointedly makes eye contact with Craig for that comment, biting his own bottom lip.

Craig’s feet falter in the snow, bringing their swirling dance to a stop.  “Oh.”

When they stop, Craig’s heart leaps into his throat at the look the blond is giving him, unable to look away from Kenny’s vibrant azure stare.    
  
Kenny lets go and laughs loudly a moment later, walking backwards away from Craig. Whatever spell the dance had cast, broken.

“It was a weird class, I don’t think the teacher was very smart,” he offers, pocketing his hands. “But I did learn how to bake a mean cake.” Kenny’s smile looks off, his eyes a little too distant as he turns to stare at the ice.

 _Great way to fuck everything up, Tucker_ , Craig inwardly hisses at himself, noticing each little way Kenny’s entire demeanor dims.  “I really like cake. Like a lot.”

“Maybe I’ll show you how to make one, one day,” Kenny muses quietly. He stands there in silence, his face impassive before he turns and smiles. The smile almost breaks Craig’s heart, because for the first time it’s a smile he can tell isn’t _real._

“Let’s go back. It’s kinda cold.” He chuckles, nodding his head in the direction of the dance. “I wanna see if Stan killed Cartman or not.”

Craig watches Kenny turn, the blond’s shoulders slumped just the slightest bit as he takes a step back toward school.    
  
“Kenny, wait,” he calls out, crossing to the other boy in two long strides, coming face to face with him the instant he pivots back around.

“Hm?” Kenny eyes Craig curiously, “What’s up?”

He shuffles his feet against the dirt and snow, willing his courage to reappear.  “Just, um...thank you. I don’t...I don’t dance, and I’m thinking that maybe I like,” he huffs out a breath, hand nervously flying to his hat tassel, “I dunno, maybe dancing isn’t so bad if you’re there.”

Kenny watches him; he can feel those eyes inspecting every movement he’s making, most likely dissecting him. There’s a beat before Kenny puts his hand on Craig’s shoulder and gives him a sideways smile.

“That’s really sweet.” The other pauses, it’s clear he’s picking his words carefully. “I can teach you other dances if you want?” There doesn’t seem to be any type of innuendo hidden in his words. He still looks off, like he wants to say something but refuses to let the real words come out.

“If that’s your round about way of saying you enjoy my company, I concur, Tucker.” Kenny throws his arm around Craig’s shoulders and points in the direction of the dance. “Let us be off. Time to see who won the fair Maiden Testaburger's heart.”

“My money’s on Stan,” the taller boy smiles, relishing the warmth of Kenny at his side and silently hoping he’ll get to see a real grin again before the night is over. 

“That’s not a fair bet to take.” Chuckling and shooting a glance up at Craig, the blond continues, “Because obviously Stan.”  
  
“Obviously,” he agrees as they fall into step once again, leaving the pond behind them.  The wind whips a flurry of snowflakes around them, and despite the chill in the air, Craig’s heart melts when he chances a look at the boy next to him, laughing and gesticulating, snowflakes caught in his golden hair.    
  
Maybe he could survive the rest of the dance as long as Kenny was at his side.  


End file.
